FDA sets strict safety controls on Chinese seafood

The move, announced last week, comes as part of a general crackdown on Chinese imports by the regulatory agency. Facing increasing criticism for its handling of food safety incidents, exacerbated by a recent scare involving the banned chemical melamine, the FDA has beefed up its regulatory oversight of the industry. In April this year, the agency created a new regulatory position to solely oversee food safety and protection. Its most recent food safety precautions will see the implementation of a broader import control of all farm-raised catfish, basa, shrimp, dace and eel from China. "We're taking this strong step because of current and continuing evidence that certain Chinese aquaculture products imported into the United States contain illegal substances that are not permitted in seafood sold in the United States," said Dr. David Acheson, FDA's assistant commissioner for food protection. "We will accept entries of these products from Chinese firms that demonstrate compliance with our requirements and safety standards." The regulatory agency said there have been no reports of illness to date. It is not requiring a recall of products already on the market, nor is it advising consumers to destroy imported seafood they have already purchased. The levels of the drug residues that have been found in seafood are very low, said the agency, most often at or near the minimum level of detection. FDA said it is mainly concerned about long term exposure as well as the possible development of antibiotic resistance. The contaminants in question include the antimicrobials nitrofuran, malachite green, gentian violet, and fluoroquinolone. "Nitrofuran, malachite green, and gentian violet have been shown to be carcinogenic with long-term exposure in lab animals. The use of fluoroquinolones in food animals may increase antibiotic resistance to this critically important class of antibiotics," said FDA. None of these substances is approved for use in farm-raised seafood in the US, and the use of nitrofurans and malachite green in aquaculture is also prohibited by Chinese authorities. According to FDA, Chinese officials have acknowledged that fluoroquinolones are used in Chinese aquaculture and are permitted for use in China. FDA said it may allow the entry into the US and subsequent distribution into the marketplace of individual shipments of the Chinese farm-raised seafood products if the company provides documentation to confirm the products are free of residues of these drugs.

FDA sets strict safety controls on Chinese seafood

Imports of seafood from China are to be detained by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) until they are proven to be free of residues from drugs that are not approved in the United States for use in farm-raised aquatic animals.

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